1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bicycles, and particularly to a mechanism for adjustably mounting a bicycle seat (or saddle) to the frame of the bicycle.
2. Prior Developments
Various mechanisms have been proposed for adjustably mounting a bicycles seat so that the seat can be tilted into different selected positions, depending on the needs and desires of individual bicyclists. U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,054, issued to T. Campagnolo on Nov. 16, 1976, shows a bicycle seat mount that includes a specially constructed head located on the upper end of a tubular post. The upper surface of the head is convexly curved to form a seating surface for a first lower clamp member for exerting a clamp force on two parallel seat support wires extending within mating grooves in the opposed clamp members. A clamp bolt extends upwardly through the aforementioned head and lower clamp member into a threaded opening in the upper clamp member. The head has a divergent slot that permits the bolt to take different directions, for thereby adjusting the degree of seat tilt.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,357, issued to K. Shimano on Dec. 20, 1983, shows a bicycle seat mount, wherein the clamp extends through a thick washer; an auxiliary set screw is threaded through the head portion of the bicycle post to engage a side surface of the washer, thereby holding the bolt in selected positions of seat-tilt adjustment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,811, issued to J. Potriarca on Mar. 5, 1985, discloses a bicycle seat mount that comprises a shoe having a convexly curved upper surface for supporting a lower clamping member. A bolt extends upwardly through the shoe and lower clamping member into a threaded opening in an upper clamping member. The patentee indicates that the clamping members can be slidably adjusted on the shoe, although such adjustment might not in fact be possible. A boss on the underside of the shoe would appear to restrict adjustment of the clamping bolt, as would be required to permit slidable movement of the clamp member assembly.